Storm spotter training to be held March 5

May be last time program offered in Kewanee

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Star Courier - Kewanee, IL

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Posted Feb. 23, 2013 at 10:00 AM

Posted Feb. 23, 2013 at 10:00 AM

Kewanee

Kewanee ESDA Director Keith Edwards has announced that this year’s severe weather awareness training will be one evening session only, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 5 in the main auditorium at Black Hawk College East Campus, Routes 34 and 78, south of Kewanee.

The Quad City National Weather Service will conduct the training.

The session is free and open to anyone with an interest in severe weather and its effects. Edwards said those who attend do not have to become a storm spotter.

Sirens, technology and TV all rely on electricity and outages sometimes result in failures in getting information to the public, which Edwards said is why it’s good to be able to look up in the sky and know whether to call off a baseball game or get workers into a safe spot inside a building.

The training is ideal for those who are in charge of groups of people, such as contractors working on construction, a factory foreman, a manager in charge of a lot of people inside or outside a building, teachers, coaches, or parents who help at sporting events.

Those who attend can take what they learn from the session to identify potentially dangerous weather and get everyone and themselves to safety.

Due to budget constraints at the National Weather Service, Edwards said that this year may be the last time the training is offered in Kewanee. It is possible the training will be offered every other year, but there is no guarantee, Edwards said.

Those interested in becoming a part of the Kewanee Severe Weather Spotters Network will have the opportunity to join. Attendees from outside the Kewanee area will find other local ESDA groups on hand.

“We are the first line of defense against severe weather for our community,” said Edwards, “and we welcome all inquiries from those interested in becoming a severe weather spotter.”